“Cheesy” Smashed Potato Boxty (Gluten-Free, Vegan / Plant-Based)

A potato by any other name . . .

Irish Boxty, Jewish Latke, Swiss Rosti, German Reibekuchen or — Potato Pancake! Spanning multiple cultures over hundreds of years, this traditional dish provides quite a versatile palette for each creator. Made primarily from a base of mashed potatoes, or mashed potatoes and raw potatoes (although some cultures have historically used vegetables or legumes) the additions beyond that are numerous: Flour, egg, milk, cheese, onion, scallions, chives or garlic. The list goes on, limited only by its preparer’s imagination.

Cheesy Smashed Potato Boxty – Mixture in Bowl

Keepin’ it healthy, makin’ it plant-based . . .

One of my objectives for Nutritionicity is to recreate traditional dishes by making them healthier while keeping them delicious. I replaced the glutenful flour with a combination of rice flour and coconut flour which are both gluten-free. To transform them into little golden cakes of plant-based goodness, I replaced the egg with flax egg, the milk with cashew milk, and used vegan cheese. As far as frying them up in a skillet . . . well, any healthy eating purest will tell you that anything fried in any way is, ahem, less than ideal. So let’s use our healthy fats. I used olive oil and avocado oil (separately) to pan fry these little buggers, and each oil was a great alternative! Both of these oils remain stable at higher temperatures and taste great when used for browning.

Cheesy Smashed Potato Boxty – Floured Boxties

Serving them up!

Serving suggestions, not unlike the Boxties themselves, are plentiful with options. Both savory and sweet, some are served with applesauce or cinnamon and sugar, and some are served with chopped chives or gravy, just to name a few. I finished my Boxties with my vegan Lemon “Cream” (recipe for that can be found in my Vegan Zucchini Cakes) and chopped fresh chives. Mwah! So good!! Well, let’s get started!

1) Mix together golden flax seed meal and water in a small bowl and set aside. Next, place chopped potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with water until potatoes are covered, plus an additional one inch of water. After water is boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook until fork tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and allow excess water to evaporate.

2) Meanwhile, place one tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sprinkle with a dash of salt. Sitr occasionally until beginning to brown and texture is soft.

3) Place potatoes in a large bowl, add milk and sprinkle with one teaspoon sea salt . Mash until smooth. Next, add sauted onion, flax egg and chives and mix. Then add vegan cheese and white rice flour and mix. If texture seems too wet (see desired texture in picture in post) coconut flour can be added (in 1 tablespoon increments). Let mixture sit for a few minutes to allow coconut flour to absorb extra moisture before adding additional flour. Additional salt and black pepper can be added at this point to taste.

4) Place 1/4 cup of rice flour on a plate. Scoop about 1/4 cup of potato mixture onto surface and form into a three inch pancake, dusting both sides with the flour. See picture in post.

5) Place 1 tablespoon of oil into skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pancakes in intervals (allow plenty of space between them in the skillet) until light brown on the bottom (approx. 3 minutes). Carefully flip over and add more oil if needed. Cook additional 3 minutes on this side. If pancakes need more time to firm up, reduce flame and cook additional time. Pancakes can be transferred to a parchment lined baking sheet and kept in a 225 degree Fahrenheit oven to keep warm.

Notes

Cooking time does not include time for cooking potatoes.

Serving Suggestions Savory or Sweet. Serve with applesauce or cinnamon and sugar for a sweeter option. Or serve with chopped chives or gravy. I finished the Boxties with my Vegan Lemon Cream and chopped fresh chives. The Vegan Lemon Cream recipe can be found in my Vegan Zucchini Cakes recipe.

Great! I’m so glad you found my site 🙂 Without going through each recipe specifically I would say it probably could be subbed (1:1) in most. Feel free to drop me a comment on any future recipes you decide to try and I’ll be happy to let you know on a case by case basis. 🙂